Associative memory ordered retrieval



May 3, 1966 Filed Dec. 29, 1961 R. R. SEEBER 49 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

1TC ENTRY SWITCHES F-CONTROL SWITCHES FIG, 2A FIG, 2a RG28 l FIG.2C

CHARACTER N CHARACTER I BIT 1 BIT n BIT I IBIT n MEMORY CQNTROL TERNARY COUNTER i-MATRIX SWITCHES Lmnnuul CONTROL |NU|CATORS FIG 20 FIG FIG. 2E

FIRST CHARACT ER ROW SECOND CHARACTER ROW V CHARACTER SELECT MATRIX CON TR 0L LINES L E TRY WITH MAK WIT H N s 055- 55 CES 02L FIG. 26 FIG. 2H VACANCY msc CHARACTER 1 CHARACTERN RANGE ans CONTROL L'NES BI BI BIIIIBITn BITIIBITn LOW IHIGH I ENTRY REGISTER FIG 2L CONTROL LINES SELECT SWITCHES FIG. 20 FIG. 2H I VACANCY MISC CHARACTER I CHARACTERN RANGE ens H BIT BIT BITI [BITn BIT TIRITR LOW ]HICH *WQRDI CONTROL SELECT REGISTER T|G2L FIG 2J FIG 2K VACANCY MISC CHARACTER I CHARACTER N RANGE BITS WORD CONTROL RIT BIT BTTTIRTTR BITTIRITR LUWIHIGH I WORD REGISTER I FIG 20 WORD n-I CONTROL HG. 2A FIG 2K I WORD REGISTER n -2 FIG. 20

WORD n CONTROL FIG 2M FIG. 2N Unmun} CONTROL INDICATORS WORD REGISTER n-I INVENTOR ROBERT R. SEEBER FIG 2M n02" WORD REGISTER n BY Lmnmw EXIT INDICATORS ATTORNEY y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOGIA'IIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 8 CHARACTER N BIT 1 o 0 CHECK 81 CHECK ECHO REGISTERS 5 OFF -49 o r RESET f f\ k r -o TERNARY ECHO M ,0 A m NP REGISTER r\ r\ ADV NP f\ CHECK UP I r\ ADV 0? c & 420 418 or A y 1T\C C BIT END OF SORT May 3, 1966 Filed Dec. 29, 1961 R. R. SEEBER 49 Sheets-Sheet 3 cu RACTER a FIG 2A2 n A 1sTs0RTTs0NCHARN\ (F l l 1ST SORT Ts 0N CHAR N-1 0 0 BIT n 0 r\ f Ts OFF H r\ TS OFF K. 575' I r-( 518 f A SET TO M T0 NP T0 NP NP H r\ r\ ADV NP CHECK UP A CHECK 0P ADV OF H ADV 0P i r\ r\ u f\ f\ CARRY U r r r r x END OF SORT n 0 END OF \r SORT AT MT\ 'xm May 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 4 TC INPUT FIG.2A3

TERNARY REGISTER SET TO 0 y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOGIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet .5

+ M O 1 TC |+NPUT r r A L RESET r RESET K K f\ k TAG iNPUT f f f\ TABINPUT 'h k k r r r\r\ f f k k i r r 9 k k I C K- 595 l f F2EB=1 k K P2EB 0 r F li n 596 0 MT f\ 0 m r\ I SE? T0 0 f f k k 39 O SET TO 0 iLjL Sam M T 0T w H M MT iii M ""12 H n T 1T 1: 1

May 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMQRY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 CHARACTER 1 49 Sheets-Sheet 6 1ST SORT Ts 0N CHAR N-k n 1ST SORT TS 0N CHAR N CHECKECHOBH 1sr 50m rs 0N CHAR 1 W o BlTn CHECK BI y 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIA'I'IVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 7 MATRIX INPUT 0 O I g ggg 521i 50 0 T:-

N OFF on OFF J 49$ WW r- 4 1w s; 508 g g; f f Y s g g i 512 m .2 a I; E E

a -39 SORT E ERROR ECHO an 15 N1 ,U1 SORT TS 0N NN- UN MLT 50m e|I+ SET TOM ADV NP cum 0P ADV OF NO sum TEST LOW ORDER an I saw 1st MATCHED SORT an END OF 50m I )9 y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 8 TC INPUT RESET TAG INPUT May 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 9 May 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 10 O O HARK+ FIFO MEMORY CONTROLS ON 0F ON OFF TSOFF Ts OFF SORT SORT Ts 0N Ts ON 533 +RDS+RDS DUP ECHO BIT ELECT FIRST MATCHED y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet l2 RESET 1 E T ER 545 m; lNPLlT T A o MARK RESET i=1 188186- ,usa

says? MI +2 MARK RESET EXIT y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets sheet 13 613 612 543 539 RESET RESET TAG INPUT TAG INPUT P2 DUP BITO P2 BIT P258 MARK RESET 0N I92 PZEB =0 ri I4I= I 5\ I 1 I94 MI+I MARK RESET OFF ENTRY EXIT 5 g z E g E E E a F a; g z z: a s: 2 E E 5 E E g i I I 3 z v -v- -v- -v- -'v TOFIG TOFIG I0 FIG T0 FIG T0 FIG 2H2 2LI 2LI 2H2 2L1 May 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 14 I CHAR I ICHMH I j; MATRIX IEPUT MATRIX ){RPUT BN2 BlTn am BlTn f N D A g ,1 0 O1 MT MT M16 91 oT or K1T LT 408 2 A ERROR ouwur 548 ass CHARACTER mm +55 442 uses ROW CHARACTER SnT y 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet l5 IOHARNI l o BIT! BlTn N D A MATRIX K'\ 1 (\f 1T 1 I r\ r\ rx M i: :1 l: I: 3F I I? I: -i 1 NH A CHARACTER r\ ROW AA M A NOT r\ A USED +55 H A USED r r A A A I r r r f\ r r rx K N FIG.2D2

SINT 582 MM 0M 1M Sm T- E y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet l6 MATRIX INPUT MATRIX INPUT Heel-HUM 0+1 0+1 y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 17 UN\ OFF ON /0FF ENTER RANGE F IG.2E2 MATRIX I CHAi S CHARN 1 Sn1T NOL NN- USED SnNT I u5En-- smr CHAR1 NOT USED v USED 0 f\ r\ g SnT ENTER MATRIX CHAR N ON PFF ,ou 0FF wsi SiNT SnNT NN- ,uN

May 3, 1966 Filed Dec. 29, 1961 R. R. SEEBER ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL 49 Sheets-Sheet 18 miss I ENTER MATT j ANGE 0L M 1m /0FF NN- ,Nu 51m 51NT RANGE y 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet l9 FIG.2E4

SnNT

y 3, 1966 R. R. SEEBER 3,249,921

ASSOCIA'IIVE MEMORY ORDERED RETRIEVAL Filed Dec. 29, 1961 49 Sheets-Sheet 2O MASK 

1. AN ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY SYSTEM HAVING WORD STORAGE WHEREIN THE LATTER ARE RANDOMLY STORED IN A PLURALITY OF REGISTERS, MEANS FOR LOCATING THE LOWEST-RANKING WORD IN SUCH RANDOMLY STORED ARRAY OF WORDS WITHOUT REMOVING SAID WORD FROM SAID PLURALITY OF REGISTERS, AND 